Loose-leaf binder.



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NE EEE- v No. 893,120. PATENTED JULY 14, 190s. j W. M. WHEILDON.

v,LOOSE LEAP BINDER. APPLIOATION'FILL'D MAR'. 21, 1907.

2 SBEBTSLSHEET 2.

LUNITED sTATns PATENT onnion.

WILLIAM M. WHEILDON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LIBRARYBUREAU, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.k

` LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Y Application led. March 21, 19072 Serial No. 363,581.

juncts of loose leaf books, and consists inl sundry improvements in theclamping backs wherewith the leaves composing such books are bound.

In the drawings hereto annexed which illustrate an embodiment of myinvention and im rovements, Figure 1 is an elevation of the c ampingbook back; Fig. 2 is an end view of portion of the book composed ofloose leaves held by the clamping back shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is thevertical section of the clamping book back taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.l; Fig. 4 is a detail showing the mode of operation of the releasing keylever; Fig. 5 is a detail showing my improved telescoping' ost and amode of securing the same to the side plates of the leaf holding clamp;and Fig. 6 is a cross section of one of the said telescopingiostsshowing the mode by which a leaf is hel thereby.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, A is the back plate and B, B the` movableside plates which constitute the principal members of the leaf holdingclamp. The back plate A terminates in iianged end plates' A3 whichoverlap and mask the ends of the side plates B, B. The side plates B Bserve for the attachment of the flexible book covers as K seen best inFig. 2. These side plates are movably connectedto each other by means4of the tele scoping posts C whereof I have shown three in the drawings.The operating devices which serve to expand or spread the side lates B,B apart, consist in the illustration s own of toggle gear, these beingshown composed each of the links G and G pivotally secured to theinternal ears B on the side plates B, and by cam studs G2 on the bossesA2 (Fig. 3). The double toggle gear is operated by means of the swingingarm D which is pivoted at D2 on the back plate A and which is providedwith socket flanges DV suited to the reception of a key lever presentlyto be described. A plate E slotted at E so as. to be guided by the studsG2 constitutes the connection between the two sets of toggle gear whichare side plates B through the ivoted at G3 to the plate E. A short linkI3* pivoted to the rocking arm D at D3 is also ivotally secured to oneof the studs G3 whic is made to project from the back of the plate E forthe purpose. Thus, when the arm D is rocked one way or the other, theintervening means of the toggle gear will be expanded or broughttogether, the telescoping posts C opening and closing and assisting tohold the two side lates B, B in proper position and alinement.

Fhe back plate A is slotted at A3 (Fig. 3) so y as to provide an openingfor the entrance of a key lever such as J.

`Secure to the back plate A there is provided the ratchet sector F whichcoperates with a spring controlled pawl II which is pivotally secured tothe arm D. The arrangement of this pawl and ratchet is shown in detailin Fig. 4. I provide an operatinghandle, in the specific instance shownin the drawings as the key lever J, which on being inserted through a roer opening such as the slot A3 in the bac p ate A dislodges the pawl IIfrom its engagement with the ratchet F and thus prepares the internalmechanism for further operation by movement of the handle J.

In the s ecific device shown in the drawings the han le or key lever Jis forked at J so as to straddle the pirf D3 and is furnished also witha projection J 2 which is so proportioned that when the key lever J isinserted between the two flanged jaws D the projection J 2 strikesagainst a pin H upon pawl H. The key lever J or its projection J2,may beso fashioned that the mere act of inserting the key to its placeoperates to dislodge the pawl II from its hold on the ratchet F, or asindicated in Fig, 4, some further movement of the key lever J may berequired as a rocking or tipping movement to the left as shown in Fig.4, which causes the projection J 2 to press the pawl H out of engagementwith the ratchet F. When the releasing or unlocking function of thehandle or key lever J has been performed, a further movement of thehandle suffices to rock the arm D to the left as shown inFigs. 1 and 4and thereby slide the plate E longitudinally of the back plate andspread apart the two side plates through the agency o the toggle gear.When leaves have been removed from or added to the assemblage thereofwhich constitutes Athe book, the two side plates B may be broughttogether, firmly clamping the mass of leaves. The

usual mode of clamping the leaves is merely to bear down hard on one ofthe side plates B as the book rests upon a table. The toggle gearcollapses, the arm D is swung back and the pawl H cooperating with theratchet F holds the arm D and the connected mechanism in any position towhich it is brought.

In Figs. l, 2 and 3 the binding clamp is shown as partly open, that isto say the side plates B are not as nea'r together as the structure ofthe telescoping post C and toggle gear permits. The telescoping postsare made up ol' post members C which are precisely alike andinterchangeable one with the other. These posts are made each of a stripof sheet metal rolled or bent so that the cross section thereof verynearly approaches the shape of a figure 8. Cne loop of this doubleconvolution is smaller than the other, its external diameter beingsubstantially the same as the internal diameter ol the larger loop andthe edge oli the larger loop approaches but does not touch the curvedsurface ol the post toward which it is bent. In Fig. 5 I have shown oneof these posts in elevation and in Fig. 6 the two posts are showninterlocked, one of them being in cross section. The slit left betweenthe terminus of the larger curve of the post member C and the back ofthe reverse curve is just suflicient to admit the body of the companionpost member and by inserting these posts one within the other, causingthe smaller convolution of each to enter the larger convolution of theother,

there is provided a telescoping post, several of which, when arranged.as shown in Fig. 1, serve effectively to keep the leaves P in properalinement. A portion of one of these leaves is shown in Fig. 6illustrating the manner in which the binding posts C retain the leavesI). To secure the members of the binding posts to the side plates B, Iemploy rivets, such as L, shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The operation of the above described leaf holding clamp is easily andquickly performed by inserting the handle J through the slot A andbetween the jaw llanges D', therewith disengaging the pawl and ratchetand thereafter moving the said plates B apart through the medium of thetoggle gear. The slow and comparatively laborious operation of working ascrew with a key to open the togglesf-a mode heretofore used-is thusobviated and improved upon and the leaf holding clamp as a wholerendered more convenient than such contrivances have been heretofore.

What I claim and desire to ters Patent is:

1. In a binder for loose leaf books, the combination of a back plate,movable side plates, telescoping posts connecting the side plates, anoperating arm, connected to the expanding gear, the expanding gear adetent and its cooperating member, one of these secure by Letstationaryin relation to the back plate, the other on the expanding gear operatingarm, and means, controlled by a key, to release the detent lrom itscooperating member, to tree the arm lor operating the expanding Y gear.

2. In a binder lor loose leal books, the combination ol a back plate,movable side plates, mechanism lor opening and closing the side plates,and telescoping posts, each consisting ol an intertwined pair otIS-seetioned members, said members being nmtnally interehangeable, onesecured to one side plate, the other to the other.

3. In a binder lor loose leal books, the combination of a. back plate,mo 'able side plates, telescoping posts connecting the side plates,expanding gear l'or the side plates, an operating arm pivoted to theback plate, a, sliding middle-plate, connections therewith to theexpanding gear and to the operating arm, a rack statimiary with relationto the back plate, a pawl cooperating therewith on the operating arm,and means controllable by a key to release the pawl to lree the arm foroperating the expanding gear.

4. In a binder lor loose-leal books, the combination ol a back plate,movable side plates, telescoping posts connecting the side plates,toggle gear for the side plates, operating means lor the toggle gear,comprising a detent and its coolwrating member, one ol these secured.stationary in relation to the` back plate, and means to release theydetent and free the toggle gear operating means.

5. In a binder lor loose leal books, the combination ol a back plate,movable side plates, telescoping posts connecting the side plate, togglegear,for the side. plates, an operating arm, connected to thc togglegear, a detent and its cooperating member, one ot these stationary inrelation to the back plate, the other on the toggle gear operating arm,and means, controlled'by a key, to release the detent from itscooperating member, to lree the arm for operating the toggle gear.

6. In a binder for loose leal books, the combination ol a back plate,movable side plates, telescoping posts connecting the side plates,toggle gear lor the side plates, an operating arm pivotcd to the backplate, a. sliding middle-plate, connections therewith to the toggle gearand to the. operating arm, a rack stationary with relation to the backplate, a pawl cooperating therewith on the (nierating arm, and meanscontrollable by a key tio release the pawl to lree the arm l'oroperating the toggle gear.

Signed by me at Boston, l\Iassaclmsetts, this 19th day ol March, 1907.

WTILIJIAM M. WlllClLDON.,

Witnesses:

JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, MARY M. DANinnn.

